Apple is Taking on Google in classroom War

The war to own the classroom has arrived.

Last week, Apple announced their newest line of education products at Lane Tech High School in Chicago, their first education event since 2012. The outcome of this battle could have massive implications, for one sneaky reason: If students get hooked on Macs and iPads, it’s unlikely they’ll ever switch to a PC or an Android phone.

Apple used to dominate the education space. Back then, over half of devices purchased by schools were Apple products. The iPad was just two years old. Flash mobs were still cool. But… Apple has been slipping. Today, 30 million students use Google education apps like Gmail and Docs. Google’s browser-only Chromebook account for 50%+ of mobile devices shipped to schools.

In true Apple fashion, their education “discounts” failed to impress.Schools only get $30 off on the new iPad and $10 off the Apple Pencil. Plus, there are literally dozens of must-have dongles and chargers.

Apple’s hoping their powerful, stunning software will convince teachers to opt for a more expensive computer (headphone jack included!). We’ll have to see what schools think, but we’re not holding our breath.